


An Adoring Gaze

by ThroughTheBlue



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Feelings Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26483071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThroughTheBlue/pseuds/ThroughTheBlue
Summary: A petition for the Lord Commander's hand will push Daenerys to realize why she has always balked at female attention directed Ser Jorah's way.
Relationships: Jorah Mormont/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 21
Kudos: 42
Collections: Jorleesi Equinox Exchange -Fall 2020





	An Adoring Gaze

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GettingOverGreta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GettingOverGreta/gifts).



> Happy reading! I enjoyed imagining how this might have gone down. I hope you enjoy @GettingOverGreta. Thank you for being my first recipient ;)
> 
> Massive THANK YOU to @wizfrog who is the main reason this story even exists. She has helped since the prompt choice/brainstorming phase, loaned me bits of one her own ideas and a one-liner suggestion inspired me to add a bit more humor into other parts of the story.
> 
> Also, many thanks to @rileypotter17 who has been a fabulous beta. Any errors remaining are mine alone.
> 
> And @terisrog, it seems your subtle nudges worked afterall. Merci :)
> 
> Everyone is so supportive about creative efforts in our little corner of the internet and I have been inspired by so many of your works. Any similarities to other stories is purely unintentional.
> 
> Prompt:  
> As we all know, one of the biggest plot holes in GoT is that no one notices Jorah is a total snack, despite looking and sounding like Iain Glen instead of the hairy brute from the books. As it turns out, over the years Daenerys has (perhaps without realizing?) been…redirecting anyone she thinks might be interested in Jorah. She’s finally forced to reckon with the reason why.

Daenerys sat at the high table surrounded by the din of yet another feast. She could barely suppress a tired sigh. Ever since she had become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, her days had been filled with ruling and her evenings with diplomacy, leaving her little time for rest.

However, her Hand insisted that these evenings spent getting to know the noble houses were almost as important for her reign as anything else she spent time on to better the lives of the smallfolk. Many nobles traveled to King’s Landing from all corners of her kingdom to strengthen their ties to the new queen in whatever way they could.

While Daenerys understood the benefits of getting to know the noble families of the realm, she remembered a comment Tyrion had made--that after the dreariness of the recovery from the Long Night and their long journey south, he did enjoy a fine wine, a satisfying meal and a festive atmosphere--which she believed was the actual reason they hosted so many feasts. She had given him a pointed look and he had quipped that Ser Jorah's long brooding silences were enough to drive anyone to drink.

Currently, Tyrion was greatly entertained by the scene playing out between the high table and one of the near empty tables below. While many were dancing or gathered in small groups around the hall, one maiden was left at a table with an adoring look on her face directed at the Lord Commander. She was beautiful if a bit young and no doubt found the dashing figure of the heroic knight quite appealing. 

Tyrion found himself recalling how the queen had responded with a terse and icy silence to a petition presented earlier that day. The matriarch of an old noble family was hoping to ally her house more closely with the crown by marrying one of her daughters, the aforementioned maiden, to someone in the queen’s inner circle. She had been hoping the arrangement could be announced at the feast but by the look on Daenerys’ face, clearly no such announcement would be made tonight.

While it was no secret that the Lord Commander’s devotion to the queen ran deeper than mere loyalty, it was also obvious to anyone with basic powers of observation that the affection went both ways. The Queen, whose feelings were perhaps complicated by her duty to her station, was quite adept at deluding herself that the deep bond between them was born only of familiarity and a long-held trust.

Tyrion practically rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He had said a few choice words to the queen after that fraught audience and was wondering if she finally realized why she had always, since he had known her and probably before, discouraged female attention directed at that particular member of her inner circle. He spared a glance at the Lord Commander who was as oblivious as always to female attention.

Ser Jorah was sat at the far end of the high table conversing with the Lady of House Mormont and several Bear Islanders. He had not noticed the young maiden’s infatuated gaze which had been directed his way for much of the evening. However, he was very aware of the tension radiating from Daenerys.

He followed her gaze to the young maiden below and sent a puzzled look,  _ Are you alright, Khaleesi? _

Daenerys responded with a look--in a form of communication that had been present almost from the start and that they had only perfected over time,  _ I am fine, ser, just tired _ . She glanced toward Missandei to let him know that she would be leaving the feast soon with her handmaiden.

While Ser Jorah knew the queen had heard a petition from the head of the maiden’s house at some point that day, he was not privy to the particulars as he had been training some of the new members of the Queensguard. A duty he entrusted to no one else because he felt it was as important as anything he had ever done to ensure the queen’s safety. Unable to hide the affectionate warmth in his eyes, he sent Daenerys one last look of concern and turned back to his kin.

Daenerys did her best to silently placate her knight but she recognized the now-familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach. A mixture of longing, connection and rightness that had been present from the moment he proudly introduced himself and gently handed her a stack of dusty old books so a scared girl could have a tangible connection to her heritage.

***

She thought back to their years on the Great Grass Sea. Her handmaidens had gazed at her knight with open appreciation and she always censured them with a stern look when their gazes lingered too long. She didn’t want him distracted by others because she wanted him to continue spending his evenings with her, sharing stories from his home and teaching her about the kingdom she would claim. So she told herself. She did not yet realize that the feelings of longing that always seemed strongest on those firelit evenings were not for a home she never knew, but for the man beside her. She was a khaleesi and he was an exiled knight and she would not let herself dwell on why he felt more like home than anywhere ever had.

On the night he almost died protecting her, she realized that she did not want a life without him in it. She needed him by her side when she took the Seven Kingdoms just as she had told him on a dusty cliffside when he had declared his love once more. But even after almost losing him, she did not yet realize what those feelings were; she just knew that she needed him.

Today as she had listened to the petition in the throne room, she felt the dragon rise in her. It took immense discipline to keep her face schooled as she listened to the matriarch list all of her knight’s admirable qualities--steadfast loyalty, honor, valor, strength, grace and humility--which made him a more than suitable match for the daughter of an old and noble house. Tyrion had joked that he was ready to marry the Lord Commander himself after that impassioned speech. Daenerys was seething and oddly panicked so did not register his attempt to lighten the suddenly tense mood in the throne room. In her head was only one thought,  _ Absolutely not _ .

***

Ser Jorah saw that Daenerys was clearly lost in her thoughts. She seemed quite preoccupied. He had sometimes seen a similar look on her face as she sat by his bedside while he recovered from wounds that should have felled him that night on the battlefield. Except he remembered the look of anguish on her face as she cradled him in her arms surrounded by fire and blood and destruction. Through his pain and her misery, he saw a new light in her eyes which made him determined to stay by her side. Tonight, she was clearly working something out in her head and would confide in him when she was ready. The closeness they had enjoyed in Essos had returned, the past put behind them and he was once again her most trusted advisor and confidant. He could not help but wish it was more but he was content just to be at her side.

As she stood from the table to leave the hall with Missandei, Ser Jorah sent her one final look to reassure her as he had countless times before,  _ Sleep well, Khaleesi. All will be well. _

Knowing he had no idea what she was mulling over, she silently responded in kind,  _ You as well, my knight. _

As Missandei accompanied her back to her chambers, Daenerys recounted the anger and possessiveness that had risen in her earlier that day upon hearing the marriage petition. Missandei knew Daenerys thought she had hidden her reaction well, but she was adept at reading her friend’s moods and didn’t need an explanation. She also knew Daenerys had to work out the reason behind her intense reaction for herself.

Daenerys confided that Tyrion had called her selfish for denying the request for Ser Jorah’s hand. Missandei chided that Tyrion would only have said that to garner a reaction from his queen as he had recently declared in a small council meeting that marriages were not always the best tools to build strong alliances--he had said one only had to look at his family’s deplorable track record for evidence. In an attempt to calm Daenerys, Missandei gently stated without thinking, that it would only be selfish if she was truly denying him some happiness, and if his feelings weren’t reciprocated by the queen.

Daenerys' immediate retort --  _ My feelings have nothing to do with this _ \-- died on her lips as it dawned on her. In her head, she heard the deep rumbly echo of the words her Lord Commander had declared several times over the course of their shared journey,  _ I have loved you. I'll always love you _ .

Drogo had been her sun and stars but he had never felt like home. Daario had been diverting but he had never understood her. Ser Jorah had been with her every step of the way to the Iron Throne and he had believed in her, taught her, guided her, protected her … and loved her. All while never expecting anything in return. Loving her selflessly as no one ever had … or ever would.

On that realization, Daenerys pivoted back in the direction of the feast so quickly that Missandei was left standing in the empty corridor with a knowing grin on her face. Her dearest friend was about to break another spoke in the wheel and show her kingdom that love was not the death of duty.

*******

Several months later, Daenerys sat at the high table surrounded by the cacophony of yet another feast. This time, rather than a tired sigh, she could barely suppress her impatience and the reason was the man beside her.

Ser Jorah could feel that he was the subject of close scrutiny but, this time, he was more than aware of who was bestowing him with an adoring gaze. Though, to be truthful, he still couldn't quite believe any of this was real.

He smiled softly and asked with his eyes,  _ Are you alright, my love? _

Her answering grin needed no words,  _ Perfect, my bear, but I cannot wait to get you back to our chambers _ .

She glanced toward the door with her eyebrow cocked in the mischievous way he adored, clearly conveying that they would be leaving the feast as soon as could be managed. His eyes cast downward with a bashful smile while a slight blush graced his cheeks.

As always, he was more than willing to do as his Khaleesi wished.

THE END


End file.
